Not of this world
by Izzu
Summary: Gu Family Book: As she approached the last few moments of her life, Seo Hwa contemplates.


Not of this World  
by Izzu

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_Humans are so weak. Once overcome by fear of the unknown... they lost their own rationale and forgot to remember the most important things such as love._

She blamed herself for being weak... for being blinded by fear. For refusing to believe her husband with his truth and neglecting the fact that he would never once hurt her. For believing in her enemies accusations that Wol Ryung tricked her...

"_Even when he got so hurt himself, his only thought was about your safety most of all,"_

"_He tried his best to become human for you. For your sake, he endured 90 days of hardship; not eating meat, helping those that need help... waiting for the day that his prayers could be granted. That he could truly become human, for you. You only have to wait for ten more days still..."_

Seo Hwa descended the mountain almost listlessly as she contemplated on her existence and life. Strange, not long ago she had been so distraught over her fate of being the wife of a mythical creature... as well a mother of a half fox spirit. Yet now, she felt no attachment for being part of the human world. Why was she so human? Why must she be so weak?

_Humans are so weak and feeble. Such foolish beings that only feel regret after losing something precious..._

Yet she wished for her child to live as the other human beings. Because despite everything, she did not want the same loneliness that Wol Ryung felt for thousands of years to fall onto her child. She did not want her child to be so isolated and shunned by humans just because he was a mystical creature.

Enough that Wol Ryung had been misunderstood.

"_You made his heart flutter for the first time in a thousand years. I'm sure he couldn't hurt you to save himself..."_

Her gentle and kind husband, who would do everything he coud just to return the smile into her face. Whose heart was so pure and innocent, it was almost hard to believe that he wasn't human. No doubt that her child would inherit that trait, yet she prayed that the child wouldn't inherit his father's fate.

**_"Why did you do this...?"_**

It was laughable that only now she started recalling everything that she loved about Wol Ryung. If only she remembered all of this that fateful day. How Wol Ryung was so easily mollified just by a quick peck on his cheek. Like an adorable oversized kitten. How he was so gentle with his touch, how he could bear with her lack of cooking skills...

How Wol Ryung was so eager to make her smile.

_"That was Wol Ryung's love..."_

Wol Ryung did not trick her into loving him. He did not forced her to love him. She did it all by herself! If not for Wol Ryung... her life would have ended much earlier.

She missed those little firelights that seemed to be around where Wol Ryung was. The more she thought of it, those small firelights must be due to Wol Ryung's presence. The will o' the wisps. When she was little... she had always been thought to fear its sightings. For the connections it has with mystical and supernatural creatures...

But when she first saw the wisps the first time she came into Mount Jiri, as well as in the Moonlight Garden... she felt nothing towards those lights aside from gentleness. Why should she feared the wisps when they had come from her beloved?

_**"I loved you. I loved you so much..."**_

She understood now, how Wol Ryung could be so confident in claiming that he could protect her. Because he could. Wol Ryung had the power to keep her from harm, no other human would have been able to find the Moonight Garden since Wol Ryung's powers would've kept it hidden. The soldiers had only found it because of her.

Seo Hwa paused uncertainly as she reached the outskirts of the village. Strange that she only left this place for a short while but now merely standing there made her feel out of place. As if the moment when her child was born changed everything about her thoughts and knowledge of the world...

One road lead towards Cheolhwagwan... while the other, should lead deeper into the little city. Sooner or later she should reach the place where Jo Gwan Woong should be.

Exacting her revenge felt shallow inside her mind. No matter what she do, it'll be hard for her strength alone to try clearing her father's name. That man's death would not do anything!

Yet it was this accursed man... that in her confusion had caused herself to push her loved one to his death. A thought rattled as to how this man could smile so happily, after all the blood that had been spilled. She would want nothing but to drag the bastard along into hell.

But her attack only injured little and before she knew it, pain coursed into her whole body. Even as she willed herself to move, she couldn't gather another strength to launch another blow. Her body just collapsed.

As she fell onto the ground, Seo Hwa cast a hateful look towards her enemy. Cursing him for the rest of eternity and for someday the enemy finally meet his bane.

Even if it meant either of them becoming restless spirits.


End file.
